8x this is something you should definitely do with your father at least once

There are so many who say it: ‘Yes, my dad is the best’, but I say it too. Because my dad is really the very best. The sweetest, funniest dad to grow up with. He is always there for his daughters, even now that we are much wiser and older.

It's remarkable how life unfolds once you become a mother yourself. Your role changes; I am no longer just the child of my parents and the sister of my sisters, I am now also a mother. My dad and mom are proud grandparents. However, there is less time for each other, I notice. As soon as I walk in, the attention goes to my little ones and no longer to ‘those big, older, and wiser’ daughters. They can manage. But you know, dad, that even big daughters always need their father? And that's why I would like to do these eight things with you, while we still can. Eight is of course your favorite number and as a mathematics professor, that's not a coincidence. You are not only funny and sweet and a really great grandpa for my children, you are also the best example one could wish for.

1. Well, what we are definitely going to do again is go to a cool sports event. We just happen to have tickets for the Olympic Games taking place this year in Paris. I am so looking forward to experiencing such an event with my dad, sister, and men. Orange suit on and together with the beer.

2. You have to experience this. We went to Coldplay last year and that was truly a once in a lifetime goal to experience together. We laughed, sang, screamed, and enjoyed that spectacle. Go to an amazing concert with your dad. That will stick with you.

3. What is also high on my list is just spending an evening at home with my parents. Happiness is mostly found in the ordinary things. My childhood home that hasn't changed and still feels so safe. Listening to music like we used to, dancing through the living room. Shall we also build that Duplo tower to the ceiling, dad?

4. Let's do something new, something we have both never done before. A clay pigeon shooting course? A padel lesson? A day of sailing? Everything is fun if we do it together.

5. Going on vacation together is perhaps the biggest recommendation. This year Italy is on the agenda, by Lake Como. I am so looking forward to it. Whole days of chatting, laughing, toasting, and eating. And going out. Always good: museums. A day out together, getting coffee there, messing around by the painting there. That's the beauty of time. Times change, but who you are, who you are with your loved ones, never completely changes. When we have fun with our parents, I am again that little girl from the past.

6. Showing my work to my dad and my husband's work. I find that special. My parents are my biggest support in everything I do. When I launched my first book, they were at the event, with a small tear of pride. You may really want your children to ‘succeed’ in life, but when do you ‘succeed’?

7. And that brings me to this: when do you succeed as an adult? Well, I can tell you exactly. Not when you are very rich or live in a big house or when you have your own business or when you can travel often or give your children a fat savings account. No. You only succeed when your children want to spend time with you, even when they are grown. And in that, my parents have succeeded brilliantly. So see this list. Let's do a lot more, dad. A day at the beach, lunch in the city, to the theater...

8. I would like to play a card game with deeper life questions once. My dad probably thinks that's silly, but still. Let's dive into the depths. What are your dreams, your fears? What will you leave behind when you are no longer here? You will always be here, right, dad?

This is your sign. Go do something fun with your father.